VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was set to face a vote of confidence in parliament on Monday after his old coalition allies pulled out of the government over the choice of a new president, one of his aides said.

Dahal, 68, became prime minister in December heading a coalition with the liberal Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party and royalists, who left the government last month amid differences over his support for Ram Chandra Paudel, a nominee of the opposition Nepali Congress party, for president.

Paudel has since been elected as the third president of the republic of 30 million people nestled between China and India.

It is mandatory for the prime minister to face a vote of confidence in parliament after any ally withdraws support.

Manahari Timilsina, an aide to Dahal, said the leader had the support of 10 groups and was expected to win the vote in the 275-member parliament.

"Consultations are continuing with other parties for the formation of a new coalition which is expected to be announced in a few days," Timilsina told Reuters.

Nepal has had 11 governments since it abolished its 239-year-old monarchy in 2008 and became a republic.

The president is a largely ceremonial head of state. (Reuters)

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday called on Britain to support its bid to join a major pan-Pacific free trade pact which London has also applied to enter.

Taiwan and China both applied in 2021 to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), but China says it opposes Taiwan - which it claims as its own territory - joining.

Britain, seeking post-Brexit opportunities, has also applied to join the pact which removes 95% of tariffs between its 11 members - Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Speaking to a group of visiting British lawmakers, Tsai said she hoped that Britain's accession to the CPTPP proceeded smoothly.

"I also hope that given its disposition for maintaining high standards, Britain will support Taiwan's bid to join the agreement. This would do much to allow Taiwan and Britain to continue deepening their partnership," she said.

In a statement released after a meeting in Singapore last October, trade pact members said Britain's application was progressing, and subsequent applicants would need to show "a demonstrated pattern of complying with their trade commitments".

Ecuador and Costa Rica have also applied to join.

China's embassy in Britain on Sunday condemned the visit of the British lawmakers to Taiwan, saying they were insisting on visiting the island despite China's strong opposition.

Britain, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but has been keen to show its support in the face of China's threats.

China has been ramping up military, political and economic pressure against Taiwan to assert its sovereignty claims.

Taiwan regularly hosts visiting foreign lawmakers, especially from fellow democracies, which China routinely condemns.

Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future. (Reuters)

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has endorsed a decree to dissolve parliament, according to an announcement in the Royal Gazette on Monday, paving the way for elections in May.

An election must be held 45 to 60 days after the house dissolution, which takes effect immediately.

"This is a return of political decision-making power to the people swiftly to continue democratic government with the King as head of state," said the decree published on Monday.

An election date has yet to be announced but Deputy Prime Minster Wissanu Krea-ngam earlier in the day said it would likely be held on May 14, if the house were dissolved on Monday.

Thailand's election is expected to showcase a long-running political battle between the billionaire Shinawatra family and the country's conservative pro-military establishment.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter and niece respectively of ousted former premiers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra, is the frontrunner to be prime minister in opinion surveys, with her support jumping 10 points to 38.2% in a poll released at the weekend.

The poll by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) put Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has been in power since a 2014 coup against the Pheu Thai government, in third place with 15.65%.

Paetongtarn on Friday said she was confident of winning the election by a landslide, with the aim of averting any political manoeuvring against her party, which has previously been removed from office by judicial rulings and military coups. (Reuters)

The United States and Philippines will announce new sites as soon as possible for an expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which gives the Western power access to military bases in the Southeast Asian country.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr last month granted the United States access to four military bases, on top of five existing locations under the 2014 EDCA, which comes amid China's increasing assertiveness towards the South China Sea and self-ruled Taiwan.

Speaking at the Basa Air Base in Manila, one of the existing EDCA sites, visiting U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the defence agreements between the two countries were "not focused on any particular issue."

EDCA allows U.S. access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but it is not a permanent presence.

While the Philippines has yet to formally identify the sites, a former military chief has publicly said the United States had asked for access to bases in Isabela, Zambales and Cagayan, all on the island of Luzon, facing north towards Taiwan, and on Palawan in the southwest, near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Leaders of local governments at the potential EDCA sites have backed the government's decision to allow the United States greater access to the bases, Philippines' defence chief, Carlito Galvez, said in a joint news conference with Kendall.

Galvez and Kendall were leading a groundbreaking ceremony for the rehabilitation of the Basa Air Base's runway.

"Today's event is a physical manifestation of our Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a key pillar of the U.S.-Philippine alliance," Kendall said in a speech, adding it built on a seven-decade-old Mutual Defense Treaty that applied anywhere in the South China Sea.

"We are at an inflection point in history and our cooperation will help ensure we stay on the path to peace and stability," he added.

The runway rehabilitation is part of $82 million the United States has allocated for infrastructure investments at the existing five EDCA sites.

"Moving forward we hope the U.S will consider more EDCA projects," Galvez said. (Reuters)